Extra Points: Early returns point to solid rookie class

(SportsNetwork.com) - Exit polls aren't foolproof in politics but they're a valuable tool that, more often than not, can accurately predict the outcomes of elections.

Similarly the first half of the NFL season is no referendum of the 2014 draft class but we now have the kind of sample size to at least make an educated assessment on some of the league's freshman.

The AFC class has been highlighted by the quarterbacks, three of which have taken over their respective teams, Oakland's Derek Carr, Jacksonville's Blake Bortles -- the No. 3 overall pick -- and the Titans' Zach Mettenberger, a sixth-rounder who will make his third start against Pittsburgh on "Monday Night Football" in Week 11.

None have translated into immediate success on the field with Carr piloting the league's only winless team, the 0-9 Raiders, and Bortles handling the only slightly better 1-9 Jags. Mettenberger, meanwhile, has dropped his first two tries at the controls for Tennessee, which is a disappointing 2-7 overall.

Each has showed promise, though.

Carr leads all rookies with 13 touchdown passes and ranks second with 1,903 passing yards. Last week, he surpassed Tom Flores' Raiders franchise rookie records in both categories (1,738 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1960).

"We saw him move. We saw him throw the deep ball. We saw him throw some timing-quick stuff underneath. He showed a lot of poise," Seahawks head coach Peter Carroll said of Carr's ability.

Bortles is the one ahead of Carr in passing yards with 1,921 passing yards and has also flashed more athletic ability than advertised, posting an additional 204 rushing yards on 34 carries.

"A young me," is how Pittsburgh two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger described Bortles. "He can extend plays. He can stay in. He can throw the ball. He can throw on the run. He is an impressive-type young player."

Mettenberger, a prototypical pocket-style thrower out of LSU, has been impressive in his first two opportunities, completing 43-of-68 passes for 478 yards and three touchdowns for an 86.5 passer rating.

"We feel like this is an opportunity to see what Zach can do just like a number of our younger players that have already started to contribute," said Tennessee head coach Ken Whisenhunt. "No question he's a talented, young player, and maybe it'll give us a spark."

Maybe if the AFC's first-year QBs had the receivers NFC teams have been developing, their winning percentages might be better.

Seven different rookie wide receivers have at least five touchdown receptions this season -- already an NFL record -- with most of them toiling for NFC teams.

Carolina's 6-foot-5 Kelvin Benjamin leads the class with 659 receiving yards and seven TDs on his 43 receptions with five of his seven scores coming from more than 20 yards out.

"The thing about Kelvin Benjamin is that it's not too big (for him)," Carolina head coach Ron Rivera said. "You worry about bringing a rookie in and sometimes it is too big. From the first time he stepped on the practice field, you could see he fits what we do. He fits the system, he fits the style, he fits the NFL."

Arizona speedster John Brown, lengthy Tampa Bay threat Mike Evans and Philadelphia slot sensation Jordan Matthews have each caught five TDs while Saints' jack-of-all trades Brandin Cooks has amassed four total touchdowns (three receiving, one rushing). Lately Giants' YouTube star Odell Beckham, Jr. has been the most impressive with an NFL-best 264 receiving yards in the past two weeks.

"Odell has done some really good things," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning. "He has shown he can make a lot of plays for us. He's up for whatever challenge is thrown at him and he is still growing as a player. He definitely does some good things for us and he's going to keep getting better and making plays."

Of course it's not all about the skill-position players and the three best rookies are playing at linebacker and on the offensive line.

Over in the AFC, Baltimore inside 'backer C.J. Mosley leads one of the NFL's best defenses with 87 tackles.

"He's everything we thought he was and hoped he would be," said Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees. "A lot of rookies need to be taught how to study. Mosley is doing just fine with the mental side of the game."

In Minnesota, it's been wildly athletic outside linebacker Anthony Barr that has helped turn the stop unit around. The ex-UCLA star leads all freshman with four sacks and three fumble recoveries, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors against Tampa Bay for his trifecta in overtime, a 27-yard strip, fumble recovery and TD.

"He's as good of a rookie as I've had at the linebacker position," said Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards. "I've coached linebackers a long time in this league. He has as much potential as anyone. He's ahead of the curve."

And the league's best rookie so far?

Try Dallas right guard and former Notre Dame stud Zack Martin, who has been an NFL-ready road-grader from Day 1 and has started all 10 games for the league's best offensive line, a group which has paved the way for the NFL's rushing leader DeMarco Murray.

"He's pretty good," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett understated when discussing Martin. "For me, the biggest thing with him is he just plays so maturely for such a young guy and has right from the start. We put him in on minute one and he acted like he's been doing this for a long time at this level against really good players. Nothing ever seems too big for him. He has all the traits that you want."

WEEK 11 (All Times Eastern)

Buffalo (5-4) at Miami (5-4) (-5), Thursday, 8:30 p.m. - Thursday's primetime affair will mark the first time since 2000 that both the Bills and Dolphins have met this late in a season with winning records. Both clubs are coming off disappointing late-game losses a week ago and Buffalo will be looking to sweep the series after a 29-10 victory in Western New York back in Week 2.

Dolphins 20, Bills 16

Seattle (6-3) at Kansas City (6-3) (-1 1/2), Sunday, 1 p.m. - A pair of streaking second-place teams meet here. Seattle posted a franchise-record 350 rushing yards in a 38-17 victory against the Giants in Week 10, the team's third consecutive win. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have rebounded from an 0-2 start to win six of their past seven games, including a 17-13 come-from-behind victory at Buffalo last weekend.

Seahawks 21, Chiefs 20

Atlanta (3-6) at Carolina (3-6-1) (-1 1/2), Sunday, 1 p.m. - Both teams are just one game behind in the loss column in the dismal NFC South. Atlanta halted an ugly five-game skid with a win at Tampa last weekend while the Panthers haven't won since Oct. 5 and Cam Newton looks really banged-up.

Falcons 24, Panthers 17

Minnesota (4-5) at Chicago (3-6) (-3), Sunday, 1 p.m. - The embattled Bears will try to halt a three-game losing streak against a team they typically dominate in Chicago. Much-maligned Bears starting QB Jay Cutler has won six of his past seven starts against the Vikings.

Bears 23, Vikings 14

Houston (4-5) at Cleveland (6-3) (-3), Sunday, 1 p.m. - The first-place Browns could be in last place by the end of the day if they don't keep winning in the ultra-tough AFC North. You can call this one the "Brady Backup Bowl" as two of the All-Pro's ex-caddies square off. Brian Hoyer is now 9-3 as Cleveland's starter while Ryan Mallett gets his first chance to pilot the Texans in place of the benched Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Browns 21, Texans 17

Cincinnati (5-3-1) at New Orleans (4-5) (-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. - New Orleans' air on invincibility at the Superdome is gone after dropping an OT affair to San Francisco last week. The Bengals, meanwhile, are attempting to bounce back from their first regular-season home loss in 15 games. Andy Dalton, who is coming off one of his worst performances as a pro, has a 10-3-1 career record versus NFC foes. His counterpart, Drew Brees, is 11-1 in his last 12 at home, completing 346-of-482 passes for 4,102 yards with 37 TDs in those games.

Saints 31, Bengals 21

San Francisco (5-4) (-4 1/2) at New York Giants (3-6), Sunday, 1 p.m. - Eli Manning has won five of his six career starts against the 49ers but San Francisco is trending upward after a possible season-saving overtime win in New Orleans. The Giants, meanwhile, allowed a mind-boggling 350 rushing yards in Seattle last weekend.

49ers 27, Giants 17

Denver (7-2) (-9 1/2) at Tampa Bay (3-6), Sunday, 1 p.m. - It's easy pickins for the high-powered Broncos against a Rams team set to reboot from Austin Davis back to limited veteran Shaun Hill. Denver star QB Peyton Manning passed for 340 yards and five TDs against winless Oakland last week and now has an NFL record nine career five-TD games.

Broncos 33, Rams 14

Tampa Bay (1-8) at Washington (3-6) (-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. - Robert Griffin III did everything but win in his first game back from a dislocated ankle in Week 9 against Minnesota. Things figure to be easier here against a team that has struggled to adapt to Lovie Smith's cover-2 defensive philosophy. RG3 passed for 323 yards and added a rushing TD in his last meeting with the Bucs back in 2012.

Redskins 27, Buccaneers 21

Oakland (0-9) at San Diego (5-4) (-10), Sunday, 4:05 p.m. - The Chargers look to stop a three-game skid against the NFL's only winless team. San Diego has won six of its past seven at home with Philip Rivers throwing for 1,833 yards with 18 TDs versus just four interceptions in those games.

Chargers 33, Raiders 23

Philadelphia (7-2) at Green Bay (6-3) (-5), Sunday, 4:25 p.m. - The fireworks figure to be exploding in Green Bay as the high-powered Eagles visit Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Eagles put up 45 points against the Panthers on Monday night while the Pack topped that by hanging a 55-spot on the Bears a day earlier. The Eagles have scored nine defensive/special teams TDs, more than double of any other team, while Rodgers tossed six TD passes in the first half against Chicago, tying Daryle Lamonica for the most ever in 30 minutes of football.

Packers 35, Eagles 31

Detroit (7-2) at Arizona (8-1) (-2), Sunday, 4:25 p.m. - Two of the NFC's top teams will meet in the desert as Arizona hosts Detroit. The Cardinals are 8-1 for the first time since 1948 and just the third time in franchise history but lost quarterback Carson Palmer to a torn ACL in a win over the Rams last weekend. The Lions have been living on the edge, scoring the game-winning points inside the two- minute mark of the fourth quarter to win in regulation in each of their past three games, becoming the first team to do so since the 1994 New York Giants.

Lions 24, Cardinals 13

New England (7-2) at Indianapolis (6-3) (-3), Sunday 8:30 p.m. - Sunday's action concludes with a primetime battle of first-place AFC teams, as the AFC South-leading Colts take to the top dogs in the East, the Patriots. Following a 2-2 start, New England has won five games in a row and outscored its opponents by an average of 18.6 points per game over that span. For Indy, QB Andrew Luck leads the NFL with 3,085 passing yards, leading his team to six wins in seven games.

Colts 31, Patriots 28

Pittsburgh (6-4) (-5 1/2) at Tennessee (2-7), Monday, 8:30 p.m. - This week's NFL docket concludes with an AFC tilt featuring the Steelers and the struggling Titans on "Monday Night Football." Pittsburgh's offense averaged 41.3 points per game during a three-game winning streak before a 20-13 hiccup against the lowly Jets in Week 10. Despite the setback the Steelers are just one-half game south of first-place Cleveland entering the weekend. Tennessee will be counting on the continued progress of rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who has passed for 478 yards and three touchdowns in his first two NFL starts.

Steelers 24, Titans 14